Eric Alexander w/ the Peter Bernstein TrioLucas Pino No Net Nonet

Eric Alexander

10 years after he first performed at the Ballard Jazz Festival, Olympia-raised tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander reunites with guitarist Peter Bernstein, bassist Chuck Deardorf and drummer Matt Jorgensen to headline the 2015 Ballard Jazz Festival.

Boasting a warm, finely burnished tone and a robust melodic and harmonic imagination, tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander has been exploring new musical worlds from the outset.

In 2004, Eric signed an exclusive contract with the New York-based independent jazz label, HighNote Records where he has amassed a considerable discography of critically-acclaimed recordings. Most recent among them is Chicago Fire, The Battle with Vincent Herring and Mike LeDonne, and It's all in the Game with Harold Mabern.

Using New York City as his home base he can been seen frequently at all of the legendary venues including ongoing appearances at Smoke, and continues to tour the world over to capacity audiences.

Originally from Phoenix, tenor saxophonist Lucas Pino studied at the Brubeck Institute in the Bay Area before moving on to New York where he attended The New School and Julliard, receiving his Masters Degree in 2011. With his monthly residency at New York's Smalls Jazz Club heading into its 3rd year, Pino has developed his No Net Nonet into an exciting and deeply musical improvising ensemble. Performing all original compositions, the ensemble of some of New York's finest younger players forges new ground while maintaining a rich, organic, swinging center. For the Ballard Festival, Pino is joined by his wife, saxophonist and former Seattlite Roxy Coss, and a group of some of the Northwest's top improvisers.